Sleight the Mystifying and Extraordinary

by Bluecatcinema

Loose Ends

In the aftermath of the fight, all the Changelings were celebrating their victory over their oppressors. The ponies had been imprisoned in cards had been released, and fled for their lives in fear of being imprisoned once more.

In the queen's tower, Sleight, Sazh, Wizel, and Chrysalis were especially relishing in their victory.

"It's finally over." Sazh smiled. "How wonderful!"

"Indeed…but what do I do now?" Wizel pondered. "There's not much for an old bug like me to do nowadays..."

"Thank you all." Sleight said solemnly. "I couldn't have done this without your help, your support. And to convey my thanks, I have gifts for all of you."

Sleight went up to Sazh first.

"To you, Sazh, who stood by me, when anypony else would have left, I give you two things I've never given anypony before…well, except Trixie." Sleight took off his hat and placed on Sazh's head. "My hat... and my friendship."

"That's all I ever really wanted." Sazh beamed. "Your friendship, I mean. Though it is a nice hat."

Chuckling, Sleight moved on to Wizel.

"And to you, the wise old Changeling who started this whole prophecy business... here." Sleight gave him a pack of playing cards. "My old deck. Maybe I could teach you some card tricks sometime."

"I humbly accept your gracious gift." Wizel smiled.

Sleight then turned to Chrysalis.

"And now, your majesty..." He declared. "If you don't mind, the gift I have for you would be better received... in private."

"As you wish." Chrysalis nodded, leading Sleight to her personal chambers. "Now, what is this gift you have for me?"

"My eternal loyalty." Sleight bowed. "You saw something greater within me that even I did not see. You could have cast me out the day we met, but you allowed me to stay. You helped me become a better stallion, and for that, I can never thank you enough... for everything."

"You are welcome, sir Sleight." Chrysalis smiled. "So... what will you be doing now?"

"I'm not really sure." Sleight shrugged. "Truth to be told, I wouldn't mind sticking around a while longer. This place has really grown on me."

"You know, Sleight... even though Wizel had made the whole prophecy up... it did end up coming true..." Chrysalis said tentatively.

"Yeah, so?" Sleight shrugged.

"Well, if you recall, there was a reward for the 'wizard'..." Chrysalis declared.

"Oh... wait... you mean..." Sleight gasped.

"Yes." Chrysalis smiled. "My children absolutely adores and respect you... and you saved their home... and you saved me... we would be honored to have you as our king..."

"Are you-are you serious?" Sleight blushed heavily.

"Completely." Chrysalis nodded. "I have seen the measure of you, Sleight. Your kindness, your compassion... And I must confess, I am quite smitten."

"Now, hold on a moment, Chrysalis." Sleight countered. "...I don't want you to think that because I saved you all that you are obligated to-"

Chrysalis placed her lips against Sleight's. The stallion locked up.

"This is no obligation." She whispered. "This is what I want... and I'm sure this is what you wanted, isn't it?"

"...Fair point." Sleight agreed, locking his lips with her once more.

Watching through the doors were Wizel and Sazh.

"Well, what do you know?" Wizel chuckled. "Looks like I owe you 100 bits, Sazh."

The next day, the Changelings were once again gathered in the town square. Sleight (who had informed them that he had constructed a "physical form" once more, since there was no point in telling them that he was never the wizard) stood beside Chrysalis, who made her announcement.

"My children!" She called. "I present to you our new king and my new mate: Sleight the Mystifying and Extraordinary!"

Most of the gathered Changelings cheered, as Chrysalis and Sleight shared a kiss in front of the crowd. Char stepped forth, a look of utter disgust on his face.

"What izzz thizzz?!" He hissed. "My queen, you cannot be zzzeriouzzz! You would make a pony our king?"

"Yes, I would, Char." Chrysalis answered. "What of it?"

"Poniezzz are foolzzz!" Char spat. "It'zzz bad enough to rely on one for help, but to crown him our king? He will make uzzz as weak as the rezzzt of hizzz pony bretheren!"

"That's enough, Char." Chrysalis frowned, "My mind is made up. I love him and he loves me."

"No, you can't do thizzz!" Char growled. "You have lozzzt you mind, my queen!"

"Okay, now that's really enough!" Sleight stepped forward. "You're outta line!"

"You did thizzz to her." Char glared at Sleight. "And you will pay!"

"Stop it, Char!" Sazh stepped forth in front of Sleigh., "I've had just enough of your pony-hating shtick!"

"Out of my way, runt!" Char roared. "He muzzzt be stopped, before our entire race becomez tainted by hizzz pony wayzzz!" He prepared an attack…

"You will not hurt my friend!" Sazh yelled, unleashing a powerful magic blast that knocked down Char.

The crowd gasped. None of them had ever seen Sazh use magic before. Even Sazh was shocked by what he did.

"Holy…" Sazh glanced at his horn. "I did magic…" He then began jumping for joy. "I did magic! Woo-hoo!"

"Oh, I am so making him my advisor!" Sleight chuckled.

"Take the former captain of the guard away." Chrysalis told her soldiers.

"No!" Char leapt up. "You will not imprizzzon me!"

Char effortlessly dodged the soldiers' lunges.

"You will pay for thizzz!" He snarled as he fled. "Ezzzpecially you, Zzzleight!"

The two rulers grimaced as Char disappeared from view.

"Oh, Char…" Chrysalis sighed.

"There's nothing that could be done, Chrysalis." Sleight said solemnly, "He made his choice... and not to sound rude, but good riddance to bad rubbish…"

"Amen to that, your majesty!" Sazh smiled.

"No need for formality, Sazh. As my friend and now advisor, you will address me as you always had." Sleight smirked.

"Thank you, Sleight" Sazh cheered.

"No prob... royal advisor Sazh." Sleight smiled. "Something tells me I'm going to need a lot of advice."

"And you can count on me to give it." Sazh said proudly. "As long as you can keep getting my name right, that is."

"Of course... Sash." Sleight teased.

The three all laughed with merriment… but in all the excitement, none of them realized Wizel was absent…

A ways away, Red Eclipse was making his way through the marshlands, still looking for his cowardly minions.

"Where are you wimps?!" He roared. "Get your flanks out here so I can break them!"

"Still here, I see?" A familiar voice asked. "I'd have thought you'd have the sense to get as far away from here as possible."

Red turned to see Wizel standing before him.

"Well, if it isn't the old bug." He snarled. "What do you want?!"

"I'm afraid you and I are not finished yet…" Wizel said ominously.

"You stupid pest… you won your stupid battle, what more do you want?" Red growled.

"Peace of mind, Eclipse…and the only way I will ever have it is to make certain that you never threaten our livelihoods ever again…" Wizel stated firmly.

"Ah, I see where this is going…" Red chuckled darkly. "Very well, I'm been looking for somepony to take my anger out on. Let's go, gramps!"

"Gladly." Wizel nodded.

Red charged at Wizel. The old Changeling sidestepped his attack a second before he hit, kicking him in the back as he passed by.

"You-" Red growled.

Wizel leapt over Red, and kicked him in the head, knocking him to the ground.

Quickly recovering, Red tried to charge again, only to be blasted with a beam of magic, sending him crashing into a tree. Wizel then charged at Red, unleashing a flurry of lightning-fast attacks, bringing him down in moments.

Red struggled to get up, as Wizel glanced out onto the marshlands.

"You wretched old fart." Red spat. "...where the buck did all that come from?"

"It comes from 700 years of survival, Eclipse." Wizel replied. "You pick up a lot of things over that time when trying to find your next meal... not that somepony like you would understand. Of course, I did have help from an unlikely source..."

Red struggled to his hooves.

"What is it you said you wanted? Purity of Equestria?" Wizel asked. "That is quite a bold ideal you have there... I admired the length and the means you went about to try and achieve it."

Red growled.

"However, your ideal is flawed." Wizel continued. "Purity is but a pipe dream, whose definition and concept had been deluded by racism and intolerance. This world was meant to be cherished by every creature alike, be they pony, Changeling, dragon, and even manticores... but unfortunately, every so often, somepony comes forth, implanted with hate and cruelty towards other, and like a disease, it infects those of a like mind... tell me, how is it that you came about these thoughts?"

"That lies under 'none of your business'..." Red snarled.

"I figured as much... funny that an Earth Pony would be the one who wants to conquer other species." Wizel sighed. "Normally, it is Unicorns that want all the other species to bow before them. Or maybe it's just me reading too much of that Equestria Noir series Sazh introduced me to."

"Your point being-grr..." Red fell to his knees.

"Well, I am no mentalist, but I have a feeling that your hate for the 'lower species' as you call it stems from your own upbringing." Wizel proclaimed. "But oddly enough, I can't see your father or mother being the one who put such thoughts into your head... maybe it wasn't how you were raised, but what... could it be that your hate comes from your inadequacy? Since you are an Earth Pony... I could only assume that you parents were all but... Pegasi perhaps?"

"SHUT UP!" Red smashed a hoof into the ground. "Do not dare try to think you know me... you don't..."

"You're right. I don't... but now I know a little more about you... still, no matter your reasons for taking this path, I cannot let you continue down it for the sake of our kind." Wizel declared, turning his back on Red.

"And how do you intend on doing that?" Red slowly rose up to his feet, as he began approaching Wizel. "You think you of all Changelings are gonna stop me?"

"Oh no." Wizel answered, not even looking behind him. "I have already expended enough of my magic today, no thanks to you, of course."

"Then it makes things easier for me!" Red raised his hooves upon an unsuspecting Wizel.

"That... is left to be debated..." Wizel smiled knowingly.

Suddenly, Red was blindsided by a magical blast. Before he could recover, six blurs jumped him, and pinned him down.

"Gah... what the-" He struggled.

"Zip it, punk." Said none other than Salt Napoleon.

"Or else." Slot added.

"We have a lot of disdain for you." Lars growled.

"And we're gonna let out." Sonny sneered.

"And why not?" Vinny hissed. "We've been waitin' a long time for this."

The brothers started pummelling Red. Grimoire then arrived on the scene.

"Ah, right on time, Grimiore." Wizel finally turned. "I was afraid I would have to pull a reverse ulnar radial strike on this poor soul."

"Well, you know us." Grimoire smiled. "We are quite punctual when it comes to time management... especially if it concerns... well, the code."

"Indeed!" Murray agreed. "And after forty years, we have finally captured this sneaky son of a-" He looked down at Red Eclipse. "...wait a minute..."

The other bros stopped beating down on him.

"What's up, bro?" Vinny asked.

"Does this guy look like the one we've been after for so long?" Murray pointed.

The brothers looked at Eclipse, who was glaring at them.

"He's right. This bloke isn't the guy!" Salt declared.

"I dunno. It might be... if our pony had somehow been lifting weights non-stop, changed his voice, his coat color, his Cutie Mark-" Lars listed.

"We get it, Lars, it's not him." Sonny sighed.

"Then who the buck is this guy?!" Slot asked.

"Me?!" Red growled. "Who the buck are all of you?"

"The 'unlikely source' I spoke of." Wizel clarified. "These are the Napoleon brothers, the leaders of the Bitalian Mafia. I just so happen to be one of their oldest members."

"What?!" Red gasped. "How..."

"I saved their great-grandpa's life while touring Bitaly." Wizel recounted. "In return, he made me an honorary member. Been that way up to today."

"Indeed... but seriously, Wizel... who is this pony?" Grimoire asked. "Because he is certainly not Twitch!"

"Twitch?" Red repeated.

"Yeah, light blue pony, blonde mane, kinda lanky, have a very bad stutter." Vinny nodded. "Don't know why I'm telling you-"

"Are you serious?!" Red snorted. "What beef do you have with my ex-lieutenant?!"

"That is not of your business, butthole!" Salt snapped.

"You are correct, Grim." Wizel nodded. "This pony is not Twitch... his name is actually Red Eclipse. He was the one responsible for the incidents here in the Changeling territory."

"And we care why?!" Slot asked.

"Slot!" Sonny elbowed him.

"He does have a point, though, Arson." Grimoire noted. "Wizel, the code word 'Twitch' was to be used when you had found and apprehended Twitch, hence the code word 'Twitch!' Not 'Red Eclipse'!"

"Make no mistake, Grimiore. Twitch was found... but unfortunately, he fled in the chaos that ensued earlier tonight..." Wizel told them.

"Well, doesn't that beat all!" Murray groaned.

"Yeah!" Salt agreed. "You drag us all out here, hoping to finally bring an end to all this crud, only to give us this dude?! Dang it all, man, half of us was gonna get lucky tonight! We had seven beautiful mares! Beautiful. Mares!"

"Well, I'm sorry if averting a genocide came as an inconvenience to your plans." Wizel said, peeved. "You all might be curious to know that this pony had earlier tonight attempted to commit murder upon our kind, had not our 'savior' saved us all!"

"Then it didn't matter either way." Lars noted. "But, since we're here... whattaya want us to do with him?"

"I don't care what you do with him. Imprison him. Kill him. Torture him." Wizel snorted. "As long as he is as far away from our homeland as possible, I could care less."

"Fair enough." Grimoire nodded. "Time to take a little trip, Red."

"Thank you." Wizel declared. "Rest assured, if I see Twitch again, I will let you know."

"Thanks, old timer." Murray smiled.

The brothers dragged the struggling Red Eclipse away.

"You can't do this to me!" He roared. "I'll kill you! I'll kill all of you!"

"With any luck, your evil will never blight this land again." Wizel declared.

"This is not over! You hear me?!" Red screamed. "I will be back! I cannot be contained-"

Red was immediately silenced by a butt of a crossbow.

"Faust, he sounds like that big bulky guy we ran into in Ponyville." Murray shook his head.

"Except he doesn't look like he uses steroids for a living." Vinny quipped. "You seen those little wings of his?"

"Well, either way, we got a special place for guys like him." Salt chuckled.

The six brothers began to drag the limp body of Red Eclipse off. Grimoire was about to join him when Wizel addressed him.

"I'm really sorry that we failed to detain Twitch, Grim." Wizel frowned.

"Well, what can you do, Wizel? As much as I would love to get my hooves on that monster… another monster does make up for a night that could had been spent cuddling with a certain zebra of mine…" Grimoire shrugged.

"Speaking of which… have you told Caboose yet? About why you want Twitch?" Wizel asked.

"Don't start with me, Wizel…" Grimoire growled.

"It has been forty years, Grimoire. Caboose, of all ponies, deserves to know what happened to 'him'…" Wizel declared.

"Wizel, there are some things that are best left under wraps." Grimoire rebutted, but hurt was visible in his eyes. "This is something that only we seven gotta do. Caboose does not deserve that kind of burden upon him. Celestia knows he's been through enough in his lifetime."

"But you will have to tell him eventually." Wizel pressed forward.

"And we will… in due time. For now, our hunt for Twitch Cardinal continues…" Grimoire sighed, "Now, if you'll excuse me…"

Grimoire turned and ran off to catch up with his brothers when Wizel called out to him.

"Hey, Grim!" Grimm glanced over his shoulder. "Give Caboose and Daring Do Napoleon my congratulations."

The old Napoleon stallion returned a smile and with a nod, then went to join his brothers.

As soon as the brothers were gone, Wizel let out a heavy sigh.

"Hey, Wizel!"

Wizel looked and saw Sazh running up to him.

"Where you been, man?" Sazh asked "We are having a festival back in town to celebrate our new king!"

"Oh, I was just… taking care of things." Wizel explained shiftily.

"Whatever you say, old friend." Sazh shrugged.

Close by, Twitch popped his head out of the bush he had been hiding in.

"I-I c-can't believe it!" He gasped. "The N-N-Napoleon brothers... here! As if having R-Red come so close to finding me wasn't bad enough... Th-there's no choice. I'm gonna have to lay low again... C-can't afford any of 'em f-finding me... especially not the N-Napoleons... not after what I did..."

Five Years Later...

Sazh and Wizel were awaiting Sleight and Chrysalis' return from Canterlot. They passed the time by playing cards with the deck Sleight gave Wizel so long ago.

"Has it really been five years since Sleight became our king?" Sazh mused. "Things don't seem to had changed much..."

Yes, I'm as spry as ever. 705 and still young." Wizel joked.

The royal carriage landed by the tower, and Sleight and Chrysalis disembarked.

"How was the trip, your majesties?" Wizel inquired.

"It was... interesting." Chrysalis declared. "Very nice, but interesting."

"We even ran into an old friend." Sleight pulled out the card with Char trapped within it.

"Is that..." Sazh gasped.

"Yep." Sleight nodded. "Good ol' Char here caused some trouble in Canterlot. Try to kidnap one of the royal family. I had no choice but to card him." He then gave the card to a few soldier Changelings, "See to it that he is placed in a cell and un-carded."

"As you wish, your majesty." The soldier Changelings bowed as they took the card.

"Unbelievable. Never thought we would hear from Char again…" Sazh admitted.

"Yeah… but honestly speaking, I should had known that he would pull something like this." Sleight shook his head. "The only question is, what do we do with him?"

"I must admit, I am at a loss..." Chrysalis confessed. "Char, as close-minded as he may be, really was one of our best soldiers. Our platoons simply haven't been same without him. It would be a shame and a waste to keep him locked up forever. But we cannot simply release him…"

"Allow me, you majesty." Wizel offered. "While Char may be a brute, he can be reasoned with. I shall have a... 'heart to heart' with him."

"Very well. Good luck, Wizel…" Sleight shrugged. "You're gonna need it."

Minutes later. Wizel went down to the dungeons, stopping outside Char's cell. The big Changeling only glared daggers at him, as he had a chain collar attached to his neck (as a safety precaution).

"What do you want?" Char growled. "To gloat in my face about how your zzztupid prophecy came to pazzz and ruined our way of life?"

"No. I just want to talk." Wizel said, opening the cell door.

"Hmph, I have nothing to zzzay to you." Char grunted, "It'zzz because of you that that wretched pony came here and ruined everything."

"You are confused, Char…" Wizel sighed. "I had nothing to do with Sleight coming here five years ago. Technically speaking, it was Sazh-"

"Don't mention that filthy runt in front of me! He'zzz no better!" Char roared.

"Abstain from insulting the king's advisor, Char… I happen to care for him a lot, and I will not tolerate your bull-crud." Wizel admonished him.

"What are you gonna do? I'm in a dingy prizzzon cell, zzztripped of everything. Beating me up won't make a difference." Char growled, though his eyes seem to register… hurt.

Wizel noticed it. "Oh, Char, how did it come to this? You were once a great Changeling, a true example of Changeling might and pride... yet you seem to have lost your way…"

"I am in no mood for your lecture, old timer." Char said bitterly. "Why don't you juzzzt leave me in peace?"

"Because you must hear this, Char." Wizel declared. "My fellow Changeling, you are going down a dark path with no end. You must step off this path and let go of all your hatred and anger… if not, you will be no better than Red Eclipse."

"How dare you!" Char snarled, standing up in attempt to size up the old bug, "You compare me to that monzzzter?!"

"I call them as I see them, Char." Wizel shook his head. "Your hate towards the ponies is what got you into this mess… and unless you want to end up like Red Eclipse, you have to let it go."

"How can I, Wizel?!" Char roared. "How can I, after all that they did to uzzz for the lazzzt hundreds of yearzzz?! Did you forget, Wizel? Did you forget all the hate, the cruelty, the dezzzpair, all the Changelingzzz that were killed because of them poniezzz?! Huh, Wizel?!" Char got into Wizel's face.

Wizel remained silent, before letting out a sigh. "No, Char. I haven't. Trust me, I have seen all the misdeeds and crimes they have committed against us out of hate and fear for our kind, and I can never forget what they did."

"Then we are on the zzzame page here." Char chuffed.

"Not exactly, Char." Wizel said, much to Char's confusion. "True, I have seen the worst of the ponies… but at the same time, I have also seen the good. Sure, there are ponies that would rather see us eradicated, branded as monsters to everypony… but there are also ponies that wish to make friends with us, get to know our ways, and in some cases, to love us."

Char only growled. "Dang it all, why did I expect you to underzzztand? Have all changelingzzz lost zzzight of what made uzzz great?! We used to be one of the zzztrongezzzt races in the world! We never needed anybody, let alone zzzome pony!"

"Yes, Char…we used to be." Wizel stated, "But time has changed, Char. This is not a world where only the strongest survive anymore. This is the world where species of all shapes and sizes lend a hoof to one another, to help each other through the best of times and the worst of times."

"But that izzzn't the way we were raizzzed!" Char defended. "We were forced to fight for zzzurvival and had become zzztronger becauzzze of it! Fight or die, that wazzz the law of the Changeling! Without that, we are nothing! Without that, we aren't Changelingzzz!"

"Char, we do not need the law anymore. Things have changed… for the better." Wizel continued. "You must learn to accept that. How can you call yourself a Changeling when you yourself are incapable of changing?"

Char stifled a growl as he glared at the old changeling.

"Char, change is what our kind do." Wizel smiled. "We change, and adapt to our environment. Just because we are now friends with the ponies, does not mean we should change what we are. Ponies or no ponies, we will always be Changelings, strong and proud."

As he spoke, Char's glare softened.

"All I ask of you, Char, is to be a true Changeling! Adapt to our new world, and let bygones be bygones! If you can do that, then there might just be hope for you yet..." Wizel finished, panting from his rather 'moving' speech.

Char only glanced at the old Changeling, as he let out a sigh.

"I juzzzt... don't know anymore." Char grumbled. "I doubt I even have a choice..."

"There's always a choice, Char." Wizel declared. "You just have to make the right one…"

The chained Changeling stood in silence, when suddenly, a small smile crept on his face.

"...I will conzzzider it, Wizel..." Char nodded. "I don't know if I can make any promizzzezzz… but I'll try."

"Well, Char, may I say that is the best decision you made in a long time." Wizel smiled. "I will leave you to your own devices for now, but I hope to hear from you soon. If you ever need me, I am only a call away."

"I will." Char nodded. "…And thank you."

"You are welcome." Wizel nodded. With that, he left the cell (being sure to lock up behind him), and began heading out of the dungeon, quite pleased with himself.

As he did, he felt a song coming on in his heart, and seeing no reason as to why not, he began to sing a lovely tune.

"Somewhere, over the rainbow…"

The End.

Comments

[Perteks]

Sequel ? :D

[danick]

4565921

EXACTLY WAHAT I'M FEELING TO

GREAT HISTORY LIKE ALLWAYS BLUE

[Galaxy Knight]

Calling it ahead of time: Twitch is the one who killed Sandy.

[Ebony Stallion]

4572769 Nope. Sandy died of an heart attack, totally natural causes. But Twitch did kill someone very close to the family.

[Derpyforever]

4572918 father, has to be father, remember, Grim said "HIM"

[Derpyforever]

anyways, good story bluecat, wrapped it all up and still anticipating the next one. I wish you the best of luck. Stay derpy forever, peace out!

[Ebony Stallion]

4573322 Getting there...hints as to whom 'him' is can be found in 'From Ponyville With Love', but you have to look for it. It's clever foreshadowing.

[Derpyforever]

4573336 You know, I wonder how far bluecat looks when writing?

[Ebony Stallion]

4573344 Actually, it was both him and me. We've been working together since 'Her Shining Paladin'. And trust me, if you haven't solved the mystery, all will be revealed eventually.

[Derpyforever]

4573347 Cool, what ideas did you come up with?

[Razzy]

That was fun. And also surprisingly deep and warm at times. A sequel would be nice, yeah.

Cya
Raziel-chan

[Bluecatcinema]

6556066 I do have something in mind. Something like a Changeling anthology story, with plenty of focus on Sleight and his new subjects.

[Razzy]

6556174 Oooooh, awesome, I can't wait!

cya
Raziel-chan

[Doctor_Den]

why in the world of mlp illusionists must be unicorns? It seems to me that magic tricks from a character who does not have any magic at all would collect a lot of spectators.

[Starlight Nova]

Which one of your stories is the first one in this series?